


Even Hell Needs a Queen

by happywitch416



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Mild Blood, Some Fluff, end of story speculation, how choices alter reality, making deals to protect others, mild violence with implied stronger violence, that is really canon divergent at this point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:22:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25690516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happywitch416/pseuds/happywitch416
Summary: In The Arcana, everyone gets a reverse and an upright ending. Rhena's reversed ending would be her taking the Devil's place, but that can go two ways. Will she make it a lesser evil? Or will she be consumed by it?It is the same opening story for both parts but they have different endings. Promise!
Relationships: Apprentice/Muriel (The Arcana)
Kudos: 8





	1. And She Made the Sun Shine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the no blood or violence ending.

"I will do it." Rhena half stumbled to her feet. "I'll stay and you can have the damned power. Just, just let them go." Her voice broke. "Let them go." 

"Rhena! No!" 

She closed her eyes, so much pain in his voice. Hurt. Her fault. Again. She turned, ran her thumb along his jaw. "Trust me, Muriel. One last time." She kissed him and stepped away not waiting for his answer.

Rhena climbed the stairs to the Devil's throne. "Little magician, I am surprised. Trading your little realm for mine is certainly an upgrade. And for such a small price." She tried to not breathe, the sulfur making her nose burn. "So you accept my offer? Your power in exchange for them and that little world of yours."

She heard them, all of them protesting, yelling her name. But not Muriel's.  _ Trust me one last time. _

"I accept." 

The Devil laughed, booming through the halls. He dragged a nail down her jaw and wrapped his fingers around her throat. "Good." 

The room blazed with light, the silence heavy and suffocating. And when it cleared, it was Rhena that had the Devil by the throat. At least, she had been Rhena. Dark horns spiraled from her head, black lace clung to her skin, moonlight silver jewelry twisted through her hair and draped across her body. Blood red nails dug into his flesh. She spoke with the thunder of the storm. "Don't worry, darling. You are the fool." Her grin was razor-sharp, her canines just a little too long. "Just not the fool you expected." 

She laughed, low and throaty as he struggled. "You." He spluttered as he shrunk before their eyes.

"Yes, me. The little magician.” She mocked. “Did you forget how power works? You rejected this realm but now they have a Queen." She laughed again and it shivered down all their spines. "Now, if you know what's good for you, little goat, you'll be the first to kneel." She released him, he stood stock still staring at the floor. She waited for a moment. "Come now, you didn't possibly think you would get what you desired? What's a little world in the face of all this power? What's a deal to someone who can't change?" Her fingers grasped his jaw, tilting his face upwards until his eyes met hers. "I said kneel."

With a low noise, the former devil fell to his knees. “Good boy.” She laughed again, trailing her fingers across his shoulders. "Little Lucio is still in there somewhere isn't he? He always needed someone stronger." 

Rhena turned to them now, a sultry sway in her hips as she descended the stairs. When she finally stood before them, she smiled. It was warm and it was Rhena, a touch of green in the pitch-black pupilless eyes. With a snap of her fingers, she released the chains that bound them. "I remember what brought us here." She said softly. "And I will finish my part. The realms will stabilize and everyone lives." She sighed. "This time. I feel it now already. The wanting, the hunger. I won't let it. " She shuddered, focusing her gaze on the floor. With a wave of her hand, she ripped open a way back. "Go, before I do something I will regret, please." The last word was a plea.

"Rhena-." Asra reached out to her.

"Not this time, Asra." She shook her head but met his eyes. "There's no bringing me back this time."

Asra nodded and ushered everyone to the rift and got them through. But Muriel ignored him, the rift, all he saw was Rhena. He brushed past Asra to stand before her. "Don't touch me." Her voice cracked. "Please, don't." He wrapped his arms around her anyway. "You trusted me, now you have to live, Muriel. Please."

She tried to pull away but he held fast. "You've always been weird, Rhena, what's a little more?"

Rhena looked up at him then, bloody tears streaming down her face. "This realm, Muriel, I won't be Rhena anymore. I." She closed her eyes with a grimace of pain, curling in on herself. "I feel it, like a thousand stings. So much rage and cruelty. I'll change but." She took a deep breath and looked up at him again. "I made my choice. I could protect you one last time, forever this time."

"You promised you'd never sacrifice yourself again until the stars fell and ever after." His thumb was gentle along her cheek and she leaned into the touch. He saw the moment the green left her eyes completely.

"I lied." No more tears came, just the red streaks down her face. She reached up and tangled her hand in his hair. "But, I could always use some help." A harsh laugh left her. "After all, every queen needs an executioner." He went completely still, the green flashed like a glow of the sun in her eyes that widened in horror. "No. Muriel. Muriel, you have to go. Now. Please, go." She choked on the sadness and fear that was trying to drown her.

When she tried to back away from him again, he wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her from the floor. The other tangled in her hair. "It's my choice, Rhena." The rift snapped shut as he kissed her.

A year later, the Masquerade didn't hold the magic it once did. Asra shuffled the tarot deck over and over mindlessly at the palace fountain. They were more on his mind today then they had been, in some impossible way. The cards grew warm, bringing his attention to fix on them. The Sun, The Devil, The Hermit. No matter how he shuffled, it was always those three.

Asra stared into the water and summoned his magic, casting for the Devil's realm. When he found it, he couldn't believe what he saw. Dark flowers grew in blacks and crimsons and whites. Scorched trees grew gnarled and twisted, grey and black leaves fluttering in the breeze. Two figures walked hand in hand, the stars above them closer and brighter as they fell. The taller one held their hand above the smaller as they twirled, the echoes of their laughter reaching his ears. Two large wolves bounded up to them, tails wagging as they bent and scratched under their chins and around their ears. When the wolves were happy with the amount of attention they bounded away playfully. The taller one bent to kiss the smaller, before wrapping their arms around their waist and lifting them from the ground.

Asra felt a tingling and found himself looking at a smiling Rhena and Muriel. Horns now twisted from Muriel's head, red paint covering his chest in harsh geometric designs. Rhena still had horns and had the same red pattern around her arms and throat. But only one eye was black. He stared at both of them and realized they both had one black and one green. Rhena laughed that throaty laugh that hadn't been hers before, but it sounded so happy as she smiled. Muriel grinned, his chin resting on her shoulder and his arms around her waist. The sun rose behind them. "Hello, Asra."


	2. And All Will Tremble Before Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the blood and violence ending

"I will do it." Rhena half stumbled to her feet. "I'll stay and you can have the damned power. Just, just let them go." Her voice broke. "Let them go." 

"Rhena! No!" 

She closed her eyes, so much pain in his voice. Hurt. Her fault. Again. She turned, ran her thumb along his jaw. "Trust me, Muriel. One last time." She kissed him and stepped away not waiting for his answer.

Rhena climbed the stairs to the Devil's throne. "Little magician, I am surprised. Trading your little realm for mine is certainly an upgrade. And for such a small price." She tried to not breathe, the sulfur making her nose burn. "So you accept my offer? Your power in exchange for them and that little world of yours."

She heard them, all of them protesting, yelling her name. But not Muriel's.  _ Trust me one last time. _

"I accept." 

The Devil laughed, booming through the halls. He dragged a nail down her jaw and wrapped his fingers around her throat. "Good." 

The room blazed with light, the silence heavy and suffocating. And when it cleared, it was Rhena that had the Devil by the throat. At least, she had been Rhena. Dark horns spiraled from her head, black lace clung to her skin, moonlight silver jewelry twisted through her hair and draped across her body. Blood red nails dug into his flesh. She spoke with the thunder of the storm. "Don't worry, darling. You are the fool." Her grin was razor-sharp, her canines just a little too long. "Just not the fool you expected." 

She laughed, low and throaty as he struggled. "You." He spluttered as he shrunk before their eyes.

"Yes, me. The little magician.” She mocked. “Did you forget how power works? You rejected this realm but now they have a Queen." She laughed again and it shivered down all their spines. "Now, if you know what's good for you, little goat, you'll be the first to kneel." She released him, he stood stock still staring at the floor. She waited for a moment. "Come now, you didn't possibly think you would get what you desired? What's a little world in the face of all this power? What's a deal to someone who can't change?" Her fingers grasped his jaw, tilting his face upwards until his eyes met hers. "I said kneel."

With a low noise, the former devil fell to his knees. “Good boy.” She laughed again, trailing her fingers across his shoulders. "Little Lucio is still in there somewhere isn't he? He always needed someone stronger." 

Rhena turned to them now, a sultry sway in her hips as she descended the stairs. When she finally stood before them, she smiled. It was warm and it was Rhena, a touch of green in the pitch-black pupilless eyes. With a snap of her fingers, she released the chains that bound them. "I remember what brought us here." She said softly. "And I will finish my part. The realms will stabilize and everyone lives." She sighed. "This time. I feel it now already. The wanting, the hunger. I won't let it. " She shuddered, focusing her gaze on the floor. With a wave of her hand, she ripped open a way back. "Go, before I do something I will regret, please." The last word was a plea.

"Rhena-." Asra reached out to her.

"Not this time, Asra." She shook her head but met his eyes. "There's no bringing me back this time."

Asra nodded and ushered everyone to the rift and got them through. But Muriel ignored him, the rift, all he saw was Rhena. He brushed past Asra to stand before her. "Don't touch me." Her voice cracked. "Please, don't." He wrapped his arms around her anyway. "You trusted me, now you have to live, Muriel. Please."

She tried to pull away but he held fast. "You've always been weird, Rhena, what's a little more?"

Rhena looked up at him then, bloody tears streaming down her face. "This realm, Muriel, I won't be Rhena anymore. I." She closed her eyes with a grimace of pain, curling in on herself. "I feel it, like a thousand stings. So much rage and cruelty. I'll change but." She took a deep breath and looked up at him again. "I made my choice. I could protect you one last time, forever this time."

"You promised you'd never sacrifice yourself again until the stars fell and ever after." His thumb was gentle along her cheek and she leaned into the touch. He saw the moment the green left her eyes completely.

"I lied." No more tears came, just the red streaks down her face. She reached up and tangled her hand in his hair. "But, I could always use some help." A harsh laugh left her. "After all, every queen needs an executioner." He went completely still, the green flashed like a glow of the sun in her eyes that widened in horror. "No. Muriel. Muriel, you have to go. Now. Please, go." She choked on the sadness and fear that was trying to drown her.

When she tried to back away from him again, he wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her from the floor. The other tangled in her hair. "It's my choice, Rhena." The rift snapped shut as he kissed her.

A year later, the Masquerade didn't hold the magic it once did. Asra shuffled the tarot deck over and over mindlessly at the palace fountain. They were more on his mind today then they had been, in some impossible way. The cards grew warm, bringing his attention to fix on them. The Sun, The Devil, The Hermit. No matter how he shuffled, it was always those three.

Asra stared into the water and summoned his magic, casting for the Devil's realm. He felt it immediately, a blaze of fire against his magic. The throne came into view, two figures seated on it. Rhena was sprawled across Muriel's lap, a golden crown with a blood-red jewel on her head. She was speaking to someone, even with her fingers tangled in Muriel's long hair, red nails occasionally grazing his neck. Asra heard her laugh and she slid off Muriel's lap like a well-pleased cat. His heart stopped when Muriel reached down and grabbed his axe, settling it on his shoulder. She shouldn't have been able to see him but her eyes met his. "Well, well." Her fingers trailed down Muriel's chest, his skin streaked with blood. "Do you want to get rid of this or should I, my love?" She purred, tangling her hand in his hair and pulling him down for a kiss.

"What's another?" He stepped away from her as she laughed. 

"Indeed, my love, why suffer fools when you can have such willing help." She fell back to recline in the throne, legs kicked over one arm and propped her elbow on the other, head in her hand as she watched with a pleased grin.

He came back to her, blood dripping from his axe and kissed her, fingers leaving marks on her skin. "It seems we have company, my love. Shall we welcome them?" She snapped her fingers and Asra's portal settled in front of them. He tried but he couldn't pull away, not even when Muriel turned to him, his eyes as coal-black as hers as he settled his back against the throne. Rhena leaned forward to rest her chin on Muriel's shoulder, her fingers trailing across his bloody chest before licking them clean. She laughed softly as his hand came up to tangle his fingers with hers. They gave him matching wicked smiles that made his blood run cold. "Hello, Asra."


End file.
